JACKSON — The University of Mississippi Medical Center is renovating a vacant building to serve as an isolation and treatment unit in the event of a confirmed or probable Ebola case in Mississippi. UMMC officials said in a news release yesterday that the stand-alone structure is removed from other patient-care facilities on the Jackson campus. […] [...]

JACKSON — Mississippi has opened a 24-hour Ebola hotline for people with questions about the virus. It’s not a message tree — it’s answered by people. The Mississippi State Department of Health says that if necessary, those people will direct case-specific calls to health officials. The state epidemiologist, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, says a case of […] [...]

HATTIESBURG — Forrest General Hospital says it has a plan in place to address Ebola. The hospital reports training and drills have been underway to assure staff that safety measures are in place for their protection and the protection of patients. Plans will continue to be adjusted as new information is provided by the Center […] [...]

JACKSON — State health officials say they are keeping Mississippi hospitals and medical facilities up-to-date on Ebola identification and treatment. State Health Officer Dr. Mary Currier, speaking at a briefing in Jackson today, says Ebola is low-risk in Mississippi. However, she says the Health Department is working with hospitals to get staff trained and prepared […] [...]

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — State health officials say Mississippi hospitals will be capable of handling any Ebola cases that may arise. State Epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs said some hospitals are updating procedures based on information provided by the state Department of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But even now as updates […] [...]

MARSHALL COUNTY — Weeks into the flu season, state health officials say a Marshall County teen has Mississippi’s first reported flu infection. State Epidemiologist Thomas Dobbs says people should get flu shots now, if they haven’t already. He says it usually takes a week or two to provide immunity. The federal Centers for Disease Control […] [...]

STARKVILLE — Enterovirus-68 is making headlines and drawing attention to the importance of taking precautions even before cold and flu season arrives. Dr. Thomas Dobbs, state epidemiologist with the Mississippi State Department of Health, said a strain of enterovirus is causing serious complications in some children in 42 states, including Mississippi, as of the first […] [...]

HINDS COUNTY — The Mississippi Department of Health is confirming one new case of West Nile virus, bringing the state total to 44 this year with five deaths. The new case was reported in Hinds County. So far this year, human WNV cases have been reported in the following counties: Adams (3), Bolivar (1), Calhoun […] [...]

JACKSON — A patient who arrived Sunday night at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Emergency Department was questioned for the possibility of Ebola after exhibiting potential symptoms of the disease. The patient, who told staff they had recently been in contact with someone who had traveled from West Africa, was questioned as part of […] [...]

AROUND MISSISSIPPI — The Mississippi Department of Health is confirming three new cases of West Nile virus, bringing the state total to 43 this year. New cases reported yesterday are in Calhoun, Hinds and Madison counties. Nobody has died in the latest cases, although there have been five previous deaths from the mosquito-borne virus this […] [...]